Australian Words and Sayings Trivia Quiz

Answer: See you this afternoon

Confusing, isn't it? Australians have a tendency to add an O or an E to the ends of some words. Arvo translates to afternoon. Then we have the bowlo (the bowling club), a journo (a journalist), a barbie (barbecue), footy (football) and so on. Or they apply nicknames (to just about everything) which are the opposite of what the person or object really is - such as calling someone Blue (when he's a redhead), Shorty (if he's tall) or Skinny (if he's fat) etc. If you concentrate hard, you can usually figure out what they are really saying. Hopefully.

NOTE: I'll use "he" in all these examples. It's preferable to using "he or she". So take it to mean either gender.

Answer: Bragging

Australians don't like braggarts. They dismiss them with such term as a bag of hot air, or a big note or big noting himself, and are more than prone to challenging that person to "Put up or shut up" or "Put your money where your mouth is...mate". "Mate" in that instance is spoken aggressively, with a slight pause before it. We truly don't like people who brag, but, for example, if a really good tennis player described himself as "I play a bit of tennis now and then" - when we all know he plays very well indeed - well then, that person immediately earns our approval.

Answer: He has died

To cark it in Australia is to kick the bucket, or die, or go to that great trivia game in the sky. It is believed our use of the term cark is derived from the word carcass, but this can't be verified. This term can also be applied to something that is no longer working when it should be. "The rotten car has carked it" or "The telly has carked it! How will I watch the footy!?" are a couple of examples of this term in use.

Answer: The toilet

The good old dunny is as much a part of the Australian language as air is to breathing. The word itself harks back to England, where it originated from the word dunnekin - a dung-house. In days gone by, every Australian house had an outside dunny, little sheds at the back of the yard away from the house, to which people trotted to relieve themselves. That was before the advent of sewerage and indoor plumbing. Once a week the contents of the can, under the wooden seat in the dunny out the back, were emptied by workers known as dunny men.

These sturdy souls, with apparently no sense of smell, went from house to house collecting same and emptied them into a big truck. Each little dunny had a small flap at the back through which those workers reached to grab the can - hopefully while it wasn't being sat upon by a dunny user.

Answer: No

"As flash as a rat with a gold tooth" is a term applied to men who are very flashily dressed in a suit, impeccable, with polished shoes, bright ties, hair slicked back with hair oil. You get the picture? Not a gold tooth in sight though, or perhaps now and then.

This sort of person immediately arouses an Australian's suspicions and distrust. He gives off an aura of con-man to all and sundry, and, though they may respond to him politely enough, they wouldn't trust him an inch with either wife or wallet.

It's just not our style to dress in such an ostentatious fashion. Politicians often dress like that in this country.

Answer: A retired couple travelling around in a caravan

Grey nomads are usually a long-term married couple who have worked hard all their lives. Upon retirement, they purchase a caravan or mobile home, and travel all over the country seeing the sights. Wherever possible they pull into caravan parks where they link up with other grey nomads doing the same thing, but not necessarily.

They may prefer instead to camp by a river or a lake somewhere for a few days before moving on. Grey nomads can be spotted all over the country having a good time and enjoying the fruits of their labour. Baby boomers make up the majority of grey nomads these days as many have now reached retirement age.

Answer: Gone back to work after retirement

Dame Nellie Melba (1861-1931) was a famous Australian opera singer who performed all over the world during the course of her career. In 1924, she announced her retirement from performing, but then proceeded to give farewell concerts in London and Australia until 1928.

After that she still continued to perform in London for another two years. So if anyone today has "done a Melba" they have also announced their retirement - but then continued working as before.

Answer: Travelling around doing seasonal work

A wallaby track was a well worn path taken by wallabies (small kangaroos basically) over their yearly seasons. A person who is "on the wallaby" has gone hopping all over Australia, following the same route every year, doing seasonal work for fruit growers, shearers and the like.

They're restless and seldom settle down anywhere permanently or find a standard nine to five job. This term is also applied to someone who has just taken off, with no particular destination or objective in mind at all. He's gone on the wallaby.

Answer: No

Definitely not. The rough end of a pineapple means someone has been given a raw deal over something, or had some really bad luck in any issue. Perhaps that person has been sacked unfairly, or received a really hefty fine for a minor misdemeanour, or lost everything in a divorce settlement, or even developed every illness under the sun. Any other similar bit of unfairness or woeful bad luck, in fact, that has been that person's unlucky lot in life.

Answer: If he can help you

There is nothing disrespectful in this query. It's just our telegraphic way of asking whether we can help you with anything, or if you need anything, or have you been served yet. It's normally asked with eyebrows raised slightly in the air and a slight leaning in towards you. Certainly it's a bit informal, but then, for the most part, we're a pretty informal bunch really.